Author's Muse: The Stormlight Archive
by Sionna Dehr
Summary: Brianna's stuck with Kaladin and he's definitely not the lively type. At least he was good at his job! Kaladin/OC bickering


**Author's Muse**

 **The Stormlight Archive**

 **Note:** _Gee! I wonder what Sionna's been reading for the past several weeks? Can't possibly be this amazing duology? Nah! For fans of the Stormlight Archive have no fear. I don't plan to turn this into a full length story. But, I needed a break from my other projects. That and I just finished Words of Radiance and this snippet manifested during the reading. Enjoy!_

They watched watch other for the next few weeks. Brianna, because she was certain her "guard" was five seconds away from killing her, and Kaladin, because he didn't quite know what to make of her. She ate with the king and his family. Tension wrought between her and the king all because called him an incompetent idiot and his mother, whom she learned to be called Navani, hadn't been thrilled with the insult as well. Dallinar; however, seemed to agree with her, but wasn't inclined to check his nephew despite being the very person the man listened to.

One evening she avoided dinner and strode across the grounds of the Khollin palace. Brianna was antsy, bored, and frustrated with the ridiculous dress Navani insisted she wear so as to not offend the delicate sensibilities of the "light eyes". Kaladin trailed close behind her, dark hair and dark eyes gazing at her with no small amount of distrust.

Tap tap tap went his spear. She pursed her lips. The insufferably long dress swished around the tips of her feet. Cloth clung to her bust and made her breasts feel uncomfortably smashed together. Her right hand – the hand she typically used the most – was covered by a long sleeve that buttoned past the tip and greatly restricted her ability to use it.

 _And I hate being followed around…_ she thought.

"Would you stop tapping your spear butt on the ground? It's irritating," she growled.

The tapping changed consistency. She scowled and whirled on him. Captain Kaladin just raised an eyebrow, brown eyes conveying exactly how unimpressed he was. She placed her hands on her hips. The safe-hand sleeve made the movement awkward, but she didn't care. The man was going to hear it whether he wanted to or not.

"Look, I don't want you here anymore than you do, but can we try to make peace of some sort? I have better things to do than hear you brood!" She snapped.

Captain Kaladin raised an eyebrow, "You arrived in the middle of a Highstorm the same night our king was attacked -."

"You mean Dalinar, not the king?" She interrupted just to be contrary.

His lips thinned. Flowing like a glowing slipstream around him Brianna noticed what she at first thought was a fairy and now knew it to be called a 'spren'. She still hadn't quite understood what a spren was, but Navani had been more than willing to accommodate her curiosity. She supposed this had more to do with a need to keep her, this strange outworlder, busy than because she was genuinely interested.

"My point stands," Kaladin said, "you're appearance is a little too coincidental to be trusted."

She crossed her arms, "You're just pissed I had to save your sorry ass from that assassin."

"I'm not… storm it! What does 'pissed' mean?" He asked.

She cocked her head to one side and smirked at him. Now things wee getting interesting.

"It's an earthen colloquialism meaning an individual is extremely angry," she said.

Kaladin's forehead creased. The skin around the brands wrinkled and Brianna found herself studying them. Dalinar had told her the man used to be a slave. To deface a person in such a public way… it was hard, sometimes, for her to remember the cruelty of humans.

 _I'm so used to fighting all the creatures that go bump in the night I keep forgetting the cruelty of the very peoples I protect,_ she thought.

"Are you done gaping?" He asked startling her from her thoughts.

"The slave marks on your forehead. Were they cut or branded?" She asked.

"Why do you need to know?" He snapped.

Brianna frowned at him, "Because I haven't lived in a world where slavery is acceptable for many years."

His eyes, they were probably the most expressive eyes she'd seen, told her how caught between anger and disbelief he was. The knuckles on his spear hand were white.

"Then you're lucky," he said.

Brianna smiled. It was a bitter smile. There was never a day in her life when she ever thought herself particularly lucky.

"If only I was," she said and turned away from him.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"How old do you think I am?" She asked and began walking.

Kaladin kept up his pace this time. The incessant tap of his spear butt was nonexistent. She smiled. Now he stopped being annoying.

"Twenty-one if that," he replied.

"Nope! Older!"

"Not possible."

"Keep guessing!" She sang.

They walked in silence for a while. Brianna studied the war camp. Soldiers milled about with spears in hand going about their daily tasks. Some, particularly the younger ones, gaped at her. Others spoke with haggard ladies. Some had gloves covering their safe hand and others, with finer looking clothes, maintained an air of tragic refinement.

 _This camp… Dalinar had said he'd lost a good portion of his men. This place is a city of its own. Wives, children, cobblers, peddlers, and every manner of trade is here. It's depressing_ , she thought.

"Why do you look so… human?" Kaladin asked.

"Elves and humans were created to look similar to each other. There are several stark differences between us; however, that make itself known. For instance my people live longer than humans do," she explained while throwing him a bone.

Kaladin narrowed his eyes. She smirked and rested her free hand on her hip. The little spren settled on his shoulder and started giggling. Brianna kept her face and devoid of any amusement lest she give away the fact she could see the thing.

"So… you would age different," Kaladin guessed.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," she clarified.

The remained silent for a good while. She turned and proceeded onward to her quarters. Kaladin didn't say anything else as he followed her several steps behind. Brianna continued in her silence even when she heard him whisper to the little spren about her. Despite this a small smirk slipped its way across her lips anyway. Humans! They always assumed that she couldn't hear them.


End file.
